


3 - A Christmas Earl

by Kat_Lovegood



Series: Professor Layton Advent Calendar [3]
Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: Advent Calendar, Advent Calendar Drabble, F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:07:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21651985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kat_Lovegood/pseuds/Kat_Lovegood
Summary: The Christmas Ball at Herzen castle brings Anton and Sophia closer together...
Relationships: Anton Herzen/Sophia
Series: Professor Layton Advent Calendar [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1557985
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	3 - A Christmas Earl

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Melinaa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melinaa/gifts).



> Hello there! I hope you still like this Advent Calendar (and have seen the second entry, it sorta ended up being set to the day when I made the draft, soo... yeah. It is somewhere in the Layton tag, though!)
> 
> Anyway, here is the third entry. It was a little inspired by "The Duke's Son" by Melinaa, which is just the cutest story of Anton and Sophia's time together, so if you like this, you are gonna love that story!

It was a frosty night and the wind was blowing sharply when Sophia emerged from the car, assisted by Thomas, her father‘s faithful chauffeur. She had a bit of trouble with the elegant, violet dress – just a shade lighter than her long, wavy hair – but eventually managed to get out of the motorised carriage without embarrassing herself. Sophia smiled as she ascended the stairs leading up to Herzen castle, ever so careful not to slip on a patch of ice. Winter held Folsense tightly in its grasp, and on her ride, Sophia had seen that the lake near the castle had already completely frozen over.

At this rate, she thought, one could ice skate on it in but a few days. She wondered whether Anton would like to accompany her – and whether his father would allow it. The Duke was maybe a little bit too fond of tradition and etiquette for Sophia‘s taste, and she was quite happy that her own parents, even though she was of noble birth as well, had a much more modern view of life, more appropriate for the 1920s. She was also glad to be considered an overall good match for the young Earl by his father, at last after long month of awkward conversation at various dinners and tea parties that felt more like interrogations to her, because she really adored the young man with the pale skin and matching ash-blonde hair that framed his face in slight waves. And his turquoise eyes reminded her of the ocean, where she had spent the summer when she was younger.

All these thoughts disappeared from her mind, however, when she entered the brightly lit, expensively decorated ballroom of Herzen castle. She had been here many times before, but the sight was always something to behold, and the detailed decorations, the large Christmas trees in the corners of the hall, the enormous chandelier at the ceiling astounded her anew every time she entered.

She got a little lost amidst the crowds of ladies in bright and beautiful dresses and gentlemen in fashionable suits, her eyes searching the gigantic room for her beloved Anton, and she was taken by surprise when a pair of hands, that came from behind her, suddenly covered her eyes. Sophia giggled a bit and said, in a sweet but slightly mocking tone:

„Oh, Earl Herzen, I didn‘t see you coming. Though I can not say I see you now. Would you care to lower your hands, so that a young maiden can take a look at your formidable face?“

Her fiancee did as he was told, and smirked in reply to her comment.

„My dear Lady Sophia, I must tell you that you look ever so beautiful yourself, and it would truly be a crime to cover those sparkling eyes of yours, greener and more exquisite than even the purest emerald ever found in my father's mines.“

His tone was one of mockery just as much as hers, but if anyone had listened, just like Anton‘s younger brother Fredrich had, they would have understood that the two young lover‘s compliments were much more sincere than their voice‘s implied. The young Lord, quite short for his age and only reaching his brother‘s hip, decided to announce his presence. Anton and Sophia had only eyes for each other and therefore failed to notice that they stood in the middle of the dancefloor, and they attracted quite a bit of attention, as they just stood there without dancing.

„Merry Christmas, Lady Sophia“, Fredrich said, „Would the two of you care for a drink or rather have a dance first?“, he asked, trying to tear his brother out of his daze.

„Merry Christmas, Lord Fredrich“, the young Lady replied, still in a mocking voice. Both Anton and herself really could not care less about things like protocol and appropriate manners.

„We would like to have a dance first, Fredrich. Maybe you would like to invite a young lady of your choice to dance as well, dear brother? Or are you so short they would have to bow down?“, Anton asked teasingly, and Fredrich gave him a grim look before taking the cue to leave.

Sophia and her fiancee danced for a while, her dress twirling with each spin, but after some time, Anton gently grabbed her hand and lead her out of the room, to an open window and onto the large balcony that oversaw the well-kept garden of Herzen castle. The music could still be heard, but it was drowned out by the cold night air, and Sophia shivered a bit in the wind before Anton swiftly put his own coat over her shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin gently on her shoulder. The two of them stood there for a few moments, gazing up towards the sky.

„The stars are beautiful tonight, aren‘t they?“, Sophia asked quietly, her voice clear like the sound of a bell.

„Not as lovely as you are. Merry Christmas, my love“, Anton replied before turning the girl in his arms around and embracing her. His lips touched hers and they kissed passionately. When they finally broke apart, Sophia leaned her head against his chest.

„Merry Christmas, my dear Anton“, she whispered.

The young Earl quickly pulled one arm away from her shoulder, only to grab into the pocket of the coat that was draped over the shoulders of the young woman in his arms, and after but a few seconds he had retrieved a beautiful small box with a violet bow. Anton took a step back to hand this gift to Sophia, and she opened the packet with her delicate hands.

Inside was an elegant pearl necklace, shining beautifully in the pale light of the moon. Anton wordlessly took it out of the box and carefully put it around her neck. When he had closed the clasp, he gently whispered „I love you“ into her ear, and they kissed once more before fleeing the cold by returning to the ballroom for another dance.

For many years to come, this would be Sophia‘s most treasured Christmas memory, and she would often tell this story to Katia, her little granddaughter, on Christmas Eve while playing with the delicate pearl necklace around her neck. Christmas, after all, was the celebration of love.


End file.
